Whether a university’s business school seeks to offer additional schedule flexibility or a more robust curriculum to its student body, business degree programs with online and in-person classes are popular options. These combination programs are also called blended or hybrid degree programs, and many reputable business schools use them to deliver quality, interactive learning experiences for a variety of business disciplines. Here are just a few examples of hybrid degree programs, and the institutions that offer them, available at the associate, undergraduate and graduate degree levels.
Associate of Applied Science in Business Administration
Many two-year colleges offer vocational training, as well as technical and science based degree programs, to give students a good start for immediate employment or further academic studies. However, modern, associate level degree granting schools, like The College of Davidson and Davie Counties, have business degree programs with online and in-person classes. This business program instructs students on foundational business principles in marketing, management and finance. Students who participate in this program primarily do so online and visit the campus for hands on, laboratory assignments and special projects.
Bachelor of Science in Business Information Systems
As a result of significant job growth in information technology careers, colleges and universities of all sizes present students with a variety of business information systems (B.I.S.) degree programs. The Bachelor of Science in B.I.S. offered by Linfield College specifically focuses on the need of working professionals who want to make themselves more marketable while maintaining their obligations to their current employers. The comprehensive curriculum lends itself well to online learning assignments, and participating students expect to take course topics like software development, operations research and management, economics and business management. While most classes in this program are conducted online, some require in-person classroom time for a richer learning experience.
Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing
While some academic degree programs require traditional classroom and laboratory instruction, others, like the Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing offered by Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), can be easily taught through an online format. Topics covered within this degree program at MTSU include market research, pricing strategies and sales management. Depending on their career aspirations, students choose electives that focus on business to consumer or business to business marketing activities. Traditional classroom sessions are held to participate in special collaborative or field work projects.
Master of Business Administration in Sustainable Systems
The Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) in Sustainable Systems offered by Bainbridge Graduate Institute is an innovative degree program in more ways than one. This program infuses a typical M.B.A. curriculum of broad business coursework with topics that include environmental and social responsibility. The program is delivered in a blended fashion that allows students to complete their degree in a flexible fashion within two or three years.
Hybrid degree programs are very popular options with many students because it affords them the best of both worlds. For example, these students can often study and complete assignments online at their own pace, but they also have opportunities to interact with classmates, faculty, alumni and key industry partners during traditional class room sessions. Depending on the curriculum structure and the contributions of the instructors, business degree programs with online and in-person classes can be a real value added experience for business school students.
